In Mind or Heart
by ghibli22
Summary: Sequel to The Way the Heart Works, but you don't have to read that one to understand. Pre established Spain/Romano. After taking a fall, Lovino finds Antonio to be not quite the same.
1. Chapter 1

Lovino lightly snored as he slept on the lawn: the grass green and lush and as comfortable as any bed. Guitar music filled the air as Antonio sat beside him, long tan fingers deftly working the instrument's stings. The late afternoon sun kept them pleasantly warm; reflecting off the red skins of tomatoes picked earlier that day.

Suddenly the music stopped. Lovino cracked open an eye as Antonio lightly shook his shoulder.

"Lovino…" Antonio whispered.

"Nnn…" he mumbled back.

"Lovino…" this time a little louder.

Slowly he raised his arm to check the time, squinting as the light shone off the ring on his finger. 3:54.

"Bastard…" he said with a yawn, "I've still got… six more… minutes…"

"But Lovino!"

Lovino whipped around into a sitting position, "What!? What the hell could you possibly wa-"

Antonio's pressed their mouths together and silenced his words. The Spaniard used his own momentum against him, so he had no choice but to lean into the kiss. But it didn't matter. He would have kissed back anyway. Either that or punched him. But it was definitely one of those two.

When the need for air forced them to break apart, their faces remained close. Lovino's eyes were closed, but he could feel Antonio next to him; hear the sound of his breathing.

"Hey, Lovi?"

He opened his eyes, "Yeah?"

Antonio smiled, "There's a turtle on the roof."

As if fleeing the scene of a crime the older man jumped up. He grabbed his guitar and the basket of tomatoes and ran towards the house, leaving Lovino stunned and still sitting on the ground, "You'll get it down for me right?" he called over his shoulder.

Shaking of the shock, Lovino leaped to his feet, "Like hell I will asshole! Get back here!"

Arriving at the house they shared, Antonio turned and smiled, green eyes shinning, "Please, Lovi?"

He crossed his arms and shot Antonio a glare, "No."

"I'll make dinner!"

"You're gonna have to offer me a lot more then that if you think I'm going to crawl up to the godforsaken roof to get some stupid, idiotic, little-"

"I'll make pasta for you!"

Lovino ran a hand through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. Damn that man. "…Fine."

Antonio, obviously pleased with the outcome, disappeared into the depths of their house. Rolling his eyes, Lovino headed off to the garage to find a ladder. What was so important about a dumb turtle anyways?

Finding the ladder buried under about a century's worth of stuff it took Lovino a few minutes to get it out. Still a bit sleepy, he dragged it all of five feet to the edge of the house and propped it up against the rafters.

_Stupid Antonio,_ he thought to himself as he began to climb, _there probably isn't even anything up there! Must just be a leaf or something that got caught in the-_

His inner rant stopped when he poked his head over the edge and came face to face with a tiny green head and two pitch black eyes.

"Holy shit… there really is a turtle up here…"

The creature in question was sitting next to the chimney, looking about as lost as a penguin in the desert. For a few seconds it stared at him, then went back to looking around the roof. Never taking his eyes off the turtle, Lovino slowly maneuvered his body up onto the shingles and started crawling towards it.

"How the hell did you get on the roof in the first place?" he asked the turtle as he moved closer, "Last time I checked, turtles didn't have win--!"

A loose tile sent Lovino hurtling towards the edge of the house. Panic swept through him as he tried to grab something, anything to stop his fall. His hands reached out, desperately trying to find some sort of purchase to hold onto. But their frantic search was to no avail. He just kept falling and falling until-

Lovino finally found a handhold at the edge of the roof, the rest of his body dangling in the air. His feet scrambled against the walls of the house in an attempt to pull himself back up.

"A-ANTONIO!" The fall might not be enough to kill him (He was a nation after all. He could be shot or stabbed and he still wouldn't die) but he would rather not have a few broken bones, "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE ALREADY, DAMMIT!"

From above he watched Antonio run out the front door and look around for him.

"Lovino?! Are you okay? Wait… where are you?"

"Up here, idiot!"

Antonio looked up to the roof, "What are you doing up there?"

"Well, you're the one who told me to get the stupid turtle, dumbass!"

"Oh, right! Do you need any help?"

"No, no. I don't need any help. I actually enjoy hanging by my fingertips from a two story building."

"That's kind of a weird hobby, don't you thi-"

"Of course I need help! Now quit standing there like a moron and get me down!"

"O-okay. Don't worry, Lovi! Umm… Where's the ladder?"

Lovino let out a small yelp as one of his hands slipped off the side. The muscles of his other hand started screaming in protest, "I don't care what you do just hurry up!"

"Alright, Lovino. You can let go now!"

Looking down he spotted Antonio standing below him with his arms spread wide and a goofy smile on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm going to catch you, of course."

"W-what about the ladder?!"

"There's no time to go get it. Just trust me, okay?"

Lovino rolled his eyes, "That's about the last thing I would ever want to DO-!"

His last word came out as a scream as his fingers relinquished their grasp on the roof. Time seemed to slow as he fell, taking eons to even get to the first floor. But before he could even comprehend the fact of how fast he was going his was face down on the ground where they had been sitting so peacefully not ten minutes ago. Quickly he shot up, checking himself for bruises or anything broken.

"Well, that turned out better then expected. Thanks for, well… trying to catch me, y'know…"

Receiving no answer from the energetic Spaniard, Lovino turned and raised an eyebrow. Antonio was lying on his back, idiotic smile still plastered on his face, unconscious from his fall to the ground when he tried to catch him. Sighing, Lovino stood, brushed himself off, and grabbed Antonio's wrists. As they slowly proceeded into the house he looked down at Antonio's face and shook his head.

"You really are an idiot sometimes, you know that?"


	2. Chapter 2

Lovino dragged Antonio into their room and deposited him on the bed. After hurriedly tossing the sheets over him, he carefully removed the gold ring off of Antonio's finger. One too many bruises in the night had certainly taught them both the wisdom of this act. Slipping it into his pocket for safekeeping, he knelt down and examined the other's head, wincing a bit at the large lump already forming behind Antonio's left temple.

Sighing he pushed himself back up and walked over to the desk. He plopped down into the chair and rested his chin in his hands. There was nothing to do but wait until Antonio woke up.

After the first few minutes he was already as bored as hell. No matter how many times he looked at his watch time refused to bend to his will and move faster. This house really was dull without Antonio around. Not that he would ever let him know that.

Still trying to relieve his boredom he snatched one of the many framed photos off the desk and started staring at it. The image trapped behind the glass made him smile just the tiniest bit. He knew if Antonio could see him he would probably be teasing him for being all nostalgic and shit but if it was about this one picture… then maybe he wouldn't mind so much.

~*~*~*~*~

He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew he was blinking the sleep out of his eyes, his body cramped from sitting in the chair so long. Surprisingly the photograph was still clutched tightly in his hands. Yawning, Lovino looked at it again, reliving the memory of when it was taken.

"H-hello?"

Antonio's voice made him jump and slam the picture back on the desk face down. Antonio didn't need to know what he was looking at and now he never would. Unless he broke the glass just now… Shit.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, bastard," he said, stretching his arms, "Sure took you long enough."

Antonio, now in a sitting position, gave him a confused look, "What?"

"Well I knew that I couldn't wake you up even if I brought a construction crew in here so just forget about it, okay?" Lovino stood and crossed the room to the door, "Where are those tomatoes you brought in earlier? I'm starving. You want anything from the kitchen?"

Antonio's next words made him stop in his tracks, his hand already halfway to the handle.

"Excuse me but… who are you?"

Turning, Lovino raised an eyebrow at Antonio and laughed, "Please spare me this pathetic attempt at humor. You haven't been able to crack a decent joke in over three hundred years and even back then they sucked."

"Three hundred… years? Have I been alive _that_ long?"

"Look, Antonio," he sighed and rolled his eyes at the Spaniard, "If you're pissed or something about the damn turtle and me not getting it down, then you can go climb up to the godforsaken roof yourself because I couldn't care less if the thing turns into seagull food! I'm sure it had a good life so that's it. Now, do you want anything or not?"

"But I don't know who you are-"

"Stop jerking me around Antonio!" Lovino walked over to the bed and gripped his shoulder, "If you're really so oblivious then what's my name, huh? What is it!?"

Antonio leaned back toward the bed, "Uh-umm-uh… I'm sorry, but I… don't…" he looked up at Lovino, "I don't know."

Lovino let his hand slide off of Antonio's shoulder as he backed away, stumbling over the last few steps. Before running out of the room he pointed at the other man, "Don't move. Just… don't move." And with that he was off, running down the hallway towards the phone, more scared then he had been hanging off the roof.

He had seen fear in Antonio's eyes. Actual _fear_.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With curiosity reflecting in his deep green eyes he looked around the room. It would have been nice to go and examine some of the things scattered here and there but he was told not to move so that's what he did. That other guy seemed mad anyway. It was probably best not to make him even angrier.

_Let's see…_ he thought to himself, _Where am I? It's pretty hot in here so its probably natural heat which means I'm somewhere warm. There's light coming in from the curtains so it's most likely daytime… But I guess that's about all I can figure out right now._

_ That guy who ran out of here earlier called me… Antonio, wasn't it? Well, and bastard but I think that's beside the point. So I guess I'm Antonio. But… he also said I had lived for over three hundred years. That's got to be an exaggeration, right? After all, no normal human lives for over three hundred years…_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lovino held the phone between his hands and took two deep breaths. He couldn't believe he was about to do this but… he had no choice. Quickly so as not to change his mind, he dialed the number and placed the receiver to his ear. Between rings he listened to the pulse pounding in his ear.

"_Hello?_"

"Francis? Listen its Lovino and-"

"_Lovino! Have you finally left Antonio and decided to come to me?_"

"No you damn pervert! The only reason I'm even calling you is because something's weird with Antonio and your one of his best friends for god knows what reason. After all you were… um… uh…"

"_Best man at your wedding?_"

"Yeah, whatever. Can you come over or not?"

"_Oh. So you do want me over?_"

"Just stay six feet away at all times."

"_I suppose I can accept those conditions. I'll get Gilbert to come too. See you soon, mon cher!_"

"What? No, wait-!" but Francis had already hung up. With a snarl Lovino threw the phone back on the table. Francis he could take, Gilbert he could take, but both _together_? This just wasn't his day. Shooting one last glare at the phone as if it was the source of all his troubles, Lovino stalked to the front door to await the two nations. At least it was better then looking into eyes that didn't seem to know him.

* * *

_Hey there! Ghibli22 coming to tell ya that I'm having a total dry spell of ideas for new stories. So if anyone has any prompt ideas send 'em my way!_


	3. Chapter 3

"Lovino, my-!"

Francis blinked as the door was slammed in his face. Lovino could be so uptight sometimes. After all, he was only trying to give the Italian an innocent little hug…

Francis smiled to himself. Okay. Maybe it wasn't so innocent. Nonetheless he knocked again and waited to be let inside. When the door finally did open, it was only a crack with just half of Lovino's face showing through.

"Six feet."

"But of course, _mon cher_," he flashed a smile, "Now why don't you let me in?"

Slowly the door opened to reveal the interior of the house. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans he marched into the hall and began making his way to Antonio's room, Lovino following close behind. As they walked Francis glanced at Lovino and raised an eyebrow, "So what is the matter with our little Antonio?"

He watched as a scowl crossed over Lovino's face, "First of all he's not _your_ anything and second he's… acting like more of an idiot the usual."

"Surely something like that you can handle yourself? Maybe with a little-"

"I don't even want to know what's about to come out of your mouth so shut the hell up!"

Francis shrugged. They were in front of Antonio's door anyway. But before he went in, he turned to Lovino and looked the man up and down.

"You know Lovino, married life has changed you."

"What?!"

"Mm-hm. You're much calmer, less violent. Cuter too. _Much_ cuter."

"Bastard!"

Grinning like a wolf, or maybe a madman, Francis ducked to avoid Lovino's oncoming fist.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Antonio jumped at the sound of something hitting the door. Through the wood he could hear muffled curses and laughter like the sound of bells.

_I wonder what kind of people they are? _he thought, entwining his fingers around the sheets, _Maybe they'll let me get up now. My legs are asleep…_

His question was answered as the door opened and two people walked in. One of them was the man from before, looking even angrier and cradling one hand in the other. The second man was tall, with shoulder length blond hair and the smallest hint of a beard. There was laughter in his eyes, as well as something else. Something… old. Something like the kind of knowledge that only came from experience and time. Antonio's gaze drifted to the eyes of the man with brown hair. Although they lacked the laughter he saw before, they definitely had that same sort of oldness.

"So where's the egomaniac?" That was the brown-haired one.

"I assume you mean Gilbert? Well I called his cell but…"

"But what, dammit?!"

"Elizaveta picked up. She said he was a little _tied up_ at the moment."

There was silence, "… oh. You do realize you're never gonna see that sorry bastard again, right?"

The blond man sighed, "That is a _very_ strong possibility."

"Umm…"

Both men looked at Antonio, "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the room. Antonio pulled the sheet closer as if it could protect him for their stares.

"Mind filling me in, Lovino?"

Lovino (_Lovino, Lovino. His name is Lovino. I should probably remember that…_) stepped forward and glared daggers at them both, "He hit his head earlier to day and then started acting like a damn amnesiac!"

"Really?" the man who answered leaned down to look Antonio in the eye, "What's your name, then?"

"A-Antonio… I think."

Lovino rolled his eyes, "That won't work, idiot! I already told him his name!"

"Fine, fine. I will try a _different_ line of questioning."

Slowly the blond man sat down and draped an arm around Antonio's shoulders, "Tell me, Antonio. Do you find me attractive?"

"W-w-what?"

"THAT'S IT, FRANCIS! YOU'RE OUT OF HERE!"

In a flash Lovino grabbed Francis's shirt and pulled him out into the hall. From where he still sat on the bed Antonio could hear Lovino complaining.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why did I ever let myself believe I would get help from _you_?! Goddamn…!"

Their voices faded into nothingness, accompanied a few seconds later by the slamming of a door. Soon after Lovino came back into the room and slammed that door as well. The force of the swing knocked one of the hinges loose so the door hung crooked and for a while Lovino just looked at it, then kicked it as if that would make it right again.

"Shit…" he said.

"Umm, Lovino?"

Said man whipped around and marched over to Antonio, "If you tell me that after all this time you've been faking it I swear I'm going to murder you!"

"No! I heard that other man call you that so I thought it might be your name. It is, isn't it? Really I don't know anything, I promise!"

The anger visibly left Lovino's face, replaced instead by… he couldn't really tell. There was irritation, confusion, maybe, just maybe, a little concern, but there was something hidden in his face, too.

"Not that you've ever known anything anyway… idiot."

Lovino sat heavily in the chair he was in before. Putting his head in his hands he ran his fingers through hair then slowly began to massage his forehead. Antonio watched for a while, unsure of how to ask his next question.

"Could…" he started, speaking carefully as if treading over thin ice, "Could you tell me who I am?"

Without looking up Lovino answered, "You're Antonio Fernandez Carriedo Brown hair. Green eyes. Otherwise known as," he raised his head and stared Antonio in the eye, "the country of Spain."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lovino watched the confusion pass over Antonio's face. Not that this was unfamiliar but today… no. He checked his watch. It was already eight. _Tonight_ Antonio's confusion was particularly unnerving.

"I… I'm a country?"

"Yep," Lovino stood and crossed his arms. He couldn't appear weak. Not to anyone. Well maybe to Antonio but…

But Antonio wasn't here anymore.

"How is that possible? That shouldn't even be possible!"

"You're a country so deal with it!" he sighed and tried to relax. This obviously wasn't the best way to handle the situation and Antonio looked about ready to jump out of his skin, "What I mean is, you are the physical embodiment of Spain. There are lots of us."

"Us? So does that mean you're one too?"

"Yeah, Italy. Well, the southern part at least. My brother is the northern half. And that guy in here earlier, you know, Francis? He's France."

"Why are there two Italies?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know!?"

"Sorry! I'm sorry!"

"……Listen, I'm hungry and I bet you are too. So let's just go to the kitchen and have some food."

"O-okay."

As Antonio slowly got to his feet Lovino's eyes swept around the room, taking a quick inventory of the things inside.

"Hey, Antonio? I've got something to do so I'll meet you in the kitchen, alright?"

"Sure Lovino. But, umm…"

"Spit it out, dammit!"

"Where's the kitchen?"

Lovino blinked. Right. "I'll just show you. You'll get lost otherwise," as they began moving he stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head, "Always did tell you this house was too damn big, bastard…" he mumbled under his breath.

Making their way to the kitchen Lovino couldn't help but notice how Antonio's gaze drifted, taking in everything like a child. Even as they arrived and he pointed at one of the chairs at the table Antonio's head swiveled back and forth, looking everywhere. Lovino watched him for a moment then walked over to the fridge and started poking around. There had to be some leftovers. Antonio refused to throw anything out until it was about ten days old anyway.

"Hey!" he called into the dining area, "where'd you put that… never mind," Mentally kicking himself for slipping up he continued to rummage until he found something still edible. Haphazardly pouring it into a couple of bowls, he grabbed some spoons and brought it to the table.

"What is this?" Antonio asked as it was placed in front of him, pointing at the red substance.

"Gazpacho, I think. And you'd better like it because it's your recipe!"

For a few minutes they ate in silence. To Lovino, everything seemed completely normal until he caught Antonio staring at some painting or piece of furniture. Then everything would come rushing back and he would glare at his food again.

"Um…?"

"What?"

"Is this really my house? It's so big!"

He looked up, about to tell Antonio off for being such an idiot, "No, dumbass, it's o-… Yeah, its yours." As he said this he stood and walked back to the hallway, "I've got some stuff to do so take your time eating. If you want more there's some still left in the fridge."

"Okay L… L… Lovino! That's it, right? Lovino?"

"Yeah. Lovino." He scowled to himself as he walked down the hall and back into their room. Why did it hurt so much when Antonio said his name now?

Slipping through the doorway he quickly began to grab the things that were specifically _his. _His clothes, his toothbrush, that idiotic tomato alarm clock that was still as ugly as hell. All of these things he piled up in his arms to be taken to the guest room. As he worked he remembered Francis's words right before he tossed him out onto the street.

"_This has happened a couple of times in the past, but it's pretty rare. Well, for those like us I mean. But it usually only happens after a traumatic experience like a war or a natural disaster. After that large earthquake hit Yao, he couldn't recall anything for at least a week."_

"_Hey I just had an earthquake! How come I didn't forget anything?!"_

"_As I said before it's rare. Just because you experience something traumatic doesn't mean you'll lose your memory."_

"_Oh… Well how long does it last?"_

"_That I do not know. Some cases have only lasted a few days, others a month or two. Although there is someone who I don't think ever got their memory back and started living a completely different life."_

"_Really? Who?"_

"_Its not important. But surely with Antonio if you XXX him his memory will return, no?"_

"_WHAT?!"_

Lovino shook his head. He didn't have time to be thinking about that. Glancing around the room to be sure he got everything, the last thing he grabbed was the picture frame off of the desk. Fitting it in with the other stuff in his arms he carefully maneuvered his way out of their room.

No. It was Antonio's room now. There was nothing of him left in it. Steeling his emotions he walked to the guest room and dumped his stuff on the bed.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

Lovino shivered and groped around the bed for the covers, squeezing his eyes against the sun coming through the window. Goddamn Antonio. Always taking the sheets in the night. But when his hand met the empty space beside him he was forced to open his eyes and recall the cold truth of reality. He was not in his room, Antonio was not asleep next to him, and his sheets were piled on the floor.

Rubbing his head he sat up and took a look around the guest room. All his stuff was in a heap where he had pushed it off the bed last night, Antonio's ring placed carefully on the bedside table. Leaning down he picked up a few pieces of clothing and threw them on, not caring that they were wrinkled. Lovino scowled at the furniture as he walked out of the room, as if it had personally offended him. It was odd how a place could be familiar and strange at the same time. It was still the house he had been living in for the past three months (and other parts of his life), but it felt like he was staying in a hotel room.

Yawning, he started to make his way kitchen, the cold hardwood floors numbing his feet. Quite honestly he felt like sleeping for another five hours, but in light of the circumstances falling back into blissful unconsciousness seemed about as likely as Alfred giving up hamburgers.

Suddenly he stopped. He was sure he had just heard something… No, there it was again. He could definitely hear music coming from the direction of the porch.

Lovino's eyes widened as he started running down the halls, his teeth clenched in a strained attempt to hold back the hope he refused to allow himself to feel. But despite his best efforts he couldn't stop it from rising up, or the word that kept echoing back and forth in his mind, _Antonio_

Breathing heavily, he slid onto the porch, his momentum getting the best of him. And there was Antonio. Sitting on the banister and strumming his guitar as if nothing had happened. But… Lovino felt his shoulders drop as the small hope that had slipped through his barrier deflated inside his chest. It wasn't the old Antonio. It wasn't _his_ Antonio. Although the Spaniard's hands moved across the stings with obvious talent, that's all there was. His fingers hovered over the instrument before each note, unsure of where to put themselves. It was only a split-second hesitation, but the difference was enough to make what was once a fluid piece sound jittery and out of breath.

"Oh. Good morning, Lovino!"

Said Italian's head shot up from where he was staring at his shoes. Antonio was smiling at him in his usual way, but it just made him scowl. Antonio, still being Antonio of course, misread it. Gasping he looked down at the guitar in his hand and back at Lovino.

"I'm sorry! I didn't wake you, did I? When I woke up I saw the guitar and just sorta picked it up. Then I thought it was such a beautiful morning so I came out here and kept fiddling with it…" Antonio trailed off, looking sheepish. Sighing Lovino walked forward and plopped down a few feet from him, staring at the faint remnants of sunrise.

"No you didn't wake me up. I, uhh, didn't sleep that well."

"Oh, you didn't? That's too bad. But I'm glad I didn't wake you up, Lovino!"

For a few minutes Lovino sat there, contemplating his breathing and the light shinning on the carnations in Antonio's garden. If he cleared his mind he could almost make life seem normal. Almost.

"So, do you have a sweetheart?"

Lovino jumped about six inches into the air, "W-what?!"

Antonio remained oblivious to the sudden tension emanating off of his skin, "Well, you do have a ring on your finger, Lovino."

"O-oh." He looked down at his finger and stared at the ring encircling it, ignoring the sharp pain tugging at his vocal chords, "Yeah. I guess I do."

"Whoever they are must be very lucky!"

Lovino stood and turned back to the house, not bothering to wait for Antonio to follow (which he did).

_Come back soon, Antonio,_ he thought to himself, ignoring the sound of footsteps behind him, _Otherwise I might kill you, you ignorant bastard!_

__

~*~*~*~*~

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Lovino stood at the door mouth hanging open in shock. The room he had previously shared with Antonio was a wreck; clothes decorated every available surface and items from various time periods lay scattered on the bed and floor. And in the middle was Antonio: shirtless and grinning like he had just discovered how to end world hunger.

"Once again: What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I've decided to learn about myself! And the best way is to go through my stuff, right?" He nodded as if confirming the idea as a good one, "Yeah so I've been going through everything here to see if something might remind me of… well, anything! Here!" Lovino stumbled forward as Antonio grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, "You can help me."

~*~*~*~*~

"And this one?"

For the last hour and a half Antonio had been firing non-stop questions at Lovino, asking about his things or the various scars he had accumulated over the centuries. But unfortunately for him, Antonio was not the type of person to realize when enough was enough.

"And, what about this one?"

Lovino looked up, eyes heavy from boredom, at the fairly large circular scar Antonio was pointing to. Yawning, he placed his head in his hands, "2004. The bombing in Madrid."

Antonio nodded, "Alright. And," he raced over to the closet, the door already open, and began rummaging through the boxes. After a few seconds he extracted a necklace made entirely of gold, "what about this?"

"Mayan gold. From when you single-handedly conquered their civilization in South America."

"Really? I did that?" He looked from the necklace to Lovino, then back at the gold dangling from his hands. He smiled, "I must have been pretty cool then, huh?"

Lovino couldn't help but smile just a little. That was such a… such an Antonio thing to say.

"Ok, then. What about… this one!"

Lovino stared at the long white scar extending over the contours of Antonio's ribcage. The old mark was glaringly obvious against the rest of his tan skin.

"Bastard Antonio! You're dripping all over the floor!"

"It's okay, Lovi. You don't have to worry about me."

"I-I never said I was worried, idiot! I'm just gonna have to clean it up, is all!"

Quickly Lovino shook off the memory of when he himself had bandaged that very wound. Standing he headed towards the door, hands stuffed in his pockets, "I've had enough of this. I'm going to get something to eat. You can grab whatever out of the kitchen if you get hungry."

"Wait! Lovi!"

Lovino whipped around, fire in his eyes, "Don't call me that! There's only one person who can call me that and you… You aren't that person!"

Antonio stopped, backing away a bit, "O-okay, Lovino. I won't call you that. I just thought it was kind of a cute nickname. But before you go could you tell me what this scar is? I promise I won't ask about any more! Really!"

"That scar…" Lovino scowled and turned out of the room, "That was when the Mayas fought back."

Walking out into the hall, he briefly wondered if Antonio noticed how much his hands were shaking.


	5. Chapter 5

  For the next week life continued as it had been. Days passed for Lovino in a blur. It seemed like the world was slightly out of place, as if everything had shifted a few centimeters to the right. Even the tomatoes seemed off color.

Nights were especially horrible. For hours he would just lay awake, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. _The pillows are too soft, the bed squeaks, it's too hot in here,_ he would complain to himself. But complaining only helped if you had someone who would listen.

On the fourth day Lovino broke the mirror in the guest bathroom. He got tired of staring at the dark circles under his eyes. And of course, at the sound of breaking glass and a large line of curses, Antonio had come running in. Ignoring the pain of the cuts on his knuckles he had stormed out, the weight of Antonio's ring glaringly obvious in his pocket.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure we did this all the time?"

"Yes, yes, _mon ami_. And besides, it might help you get your memory back."

Antonio shrugged and allowed Francis' hand to slip up the back of his shirt. The Frenchman had stopped by earlier that day and Lovino, apparently annoyed at his presence, had gone out to the garden to pick some tomatoes.

Sighing, Antonio rested his head in his hands, unaware of the second hand heading down his pants leg, "I don't really know anything, do I?"

"Well that isn't so different from how you were before, but why do you say so?"

"I see things around the house and I get this feeling, as if I should… y'know, _know _them but," he waved his hand in a dismissive manner, "nothing."

"Oh, well," Francis moved his hand to Antonio's chest, "I'm sure it will be fi-"

His sentence was cut off as a red sphere whizzed past his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"God dammit…" Lovino fumed as he headed towards the rows of tomatoes at the end of the garden. It probably wasn't a great idea to leave Antonio alone with Francis but… what the hell did he care?! Antonio could take care of himself and…

Lovino collapsed onto the soil and pulled his knees up to his chest. God he was a mess. He could feel the stress building up inside of him. It was like a giant weight pressing down on top of him, trying to make him crack. But… He stood and began to grab some of the ripe fruits off the vines in front of him. He wasn't going to crack. He couldn't. He _was not_ going to crack.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"YOU IDIOT!" Lovino launched another tomato at Antonio's head, "How stupid can you be?! How incredibly senseless are you?!" He lifted his arm again to fire a third, "I spend all my time looking out for you and you… you just…" the tomato slowly fell from his hand and splattered across the floor, "If… if you…" _If you said you cared so much for me then why don't you remember who I am!_ But he couldn't say it. The words barely made it past his throat, then died on his lips.

_Crack_

"Sh-shit…" he turned and walked out the door, slamming it closed behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oops…" said Francis, removing his hands from Antonio's shirt and pants, "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea."

"I don't get him."

Francis looked up, "What?"

"Lovino," Antonio replied, "I don't get him. He's always angry at something or other. And not only that, but he sleeps in a room that's barely furnished. I wandered into it once looking for the bathroom. He was on the bed looking at some picture or something, and when he heard me come in he stuffed it under his pillow. I mean, sure it's logical for him to have some private stuff but it was kind of weird. And another thing! What about his wife?"

"…Wife?"

"Yeah. I saw that ring on his finger. If he's here, then what about her? Is it really okay for him to be here all the time? ...What?"

Francis was looking at him with one eyebrow raised, "You mean he hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Well if he hasn't told you then-"

"Francis, tell me."

Sighing he stood and walked out into the hall, "Well, come on Antonio. If you're going to find out you might as well get the full story. And besides, I have a pretty good idea of what that picture is."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Brother?"

Feliciano stared in confusion at Lovino, his car parked haphazardly out in the driveway. But after seeing the state Lovino was in, he hurriedly pulled him inside.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

"What? Oh, nothing."

"That's not true!" Feliciano pointed to Lovino's face, "You've got HUGE circles under your eyes. And your shoulders are all bunched up and tense. And-"

"Feliciano," Lovino held up a hand to stop the endless flow of chatter, "Can I just… sleep here tonight? I need somewhere to stay and I don't feel like driving all the way home."

"Sure. Of course you can! I haven't used the guest room in forever so it should still be made up. But do you want something to eat first? I've got a ton of leftovers in the fridge!" Lifting his hand he started checking things off his fingers, "I've got linguini, and angle's hair, and pesto, and lasagna, and tortellini, and…" looking up he trailed off into silence. Lovino was staring at the floor, his eyes vacant and empty. Something was definitely wrong. "Come on," he said, grabbing the other's hand, "I'll take you to the room, okay?"

Leading Lovino through the house, they passed through the living room where Ludwig was reading a book. Feliciano squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the explosion of curses from Lovino that came whenever Ludwig was in a thirty meter radius.

But it never came. Lovino kept walking, barely even acknowledging Ludwig's presence.

"Um… Lovino?"

"Huh? What?"

"I've got something I need to do so I'll meet you in the guest room."

"Oh. Yeah, alright."

As soon as Lovino was safely out of earshot, Feliciano rushed over to Ludwig who had put down his book when they had entered the room. He looked just about as perplexed as Feliciano felt.

"Your brother just walked through here, right?"

Feliciano nodded.

"And he did so without screaming and cursing my very existence."

Another nod.

"Is he feeling alright?"

"I don't really know but," he started back out of the living room, having decided to get Lovino two extra pillows (because nothing seems too bad when you're surrounded by soft), "I don't think so…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure it's okay to do this?"

"Of course it is. It's your house isn't it?"

"Well yeah but this is _Lovino's_ room."

"Trust me this is fine. Besides we used to do things much worse than this back in the day."

"We did?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you all about it once you get your memories back, okay?"

"Uh, sure…"

Francis smiled and opened that door, letting out a low whistle. The room was an absolute mess. Sure, he had never known the older Italian to be a neat freak but he usually kept his space cleaner than this. It was hard to know where to look. But thankfully one glance at the bed revealed the telltale sign of the frame hidden under the blankets.

"Here," Francis walked over to the bed and pulled out the picture, handing it over to Antonio, "This should clear up some of your obvious inner turmoil, lover boy."

"Lover boy?" he asked, "Well why am I-"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Feliciano slowly closed the door to the guest room and tiptoed to the living room. He knew that Lovino wasn't asleep yet but it seemed like a good idea to be quiet. He shook his head and sighed. Poor Lovino.

Poking his head around the doorframe Feliciano smiled at the sight of Ludwig still reading his book on the couch, "Hey Ludwig?"

"Hm?"

"You almost done?"

"Just about. Why?"

Striding forward, Feliciano expertly maneuvered himself under Ludwig's arm and into his lap. He reached up and removed the gold-framed reading glasses before giving him a small kiss on the cheek, "I'm worried about my brother."

Ludwig set his book on the table and shifted his position so they were both more comfortable, "Why's that?"

"It's this whole thing with big brother Antonio. I can tell it's been really hard on him. When I asked about how Antonio was earlier he almost completely broke down. Really he did. He thinks I don't notice things like that but I do. It's so obvious when he's stressed out or upset. You can see it here," he pointed to his forehead, "and here," he pointed to his eyes. Taking a deep breath he snuggled his head into Ludwig's shoulder, "I mean, I don't think Lovino really has anyone else besides me and Antonio. It's kinda always been like that. So by losing Antonio, it's like he's lost half of the people who make him feel like he's worth anything. Even more than half because he really does love Antonio and he and I don't spend that much time together. And that's not good because Lovino's felt like his existence doesn't matter ever since we were little kids! But then again I guess that's kind of my fault…"

"But it's not like Antonio's really gone, is he? He's still the same person."

"That's not the point! Can't you imagine it? How hard it would be if the one person who you cared about, the only person you think cares about you, forgot you even existed? I would feel the same way if you didn't know who I was anymore…" Feliciano looked up into Ludwig's eyes and wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, "So don't you ever forget, okay?"

Ludwig returned the hug and slowly ran his hand through Feliciano's hair, "Alright. I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lovino mindlessly toyed with the sheets under his fingers. A tiny sliver of moonlight leaked through the curtains and illuminated a path on the floor. He couldn't believe he had just up and left like that. What the hell was wrong with him?

Burying his face in his pillows he let out a groan. _Everything _was wrong. Every. Last. Damn. Thing. Especially him. He was just… He was just weak. He was weak and senseless and a coward and…and…

He was completely falling apart. Squeezing his eyes shut he bit down on his lower lip, attempting to fall asleep before his pillow got too wet.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for posting kinda late. Fanfiction was being mean to me

* * *

_He walked down the hallway, working incredibly hard not to burst out laughing. Slowly he opened the door to Lovino's room, peering through the crack at the Italian. That's it. He couldn't stand it anymore._

"_Looooviiiinoooo!" Antonio leapt into the room, sending them both tumbling to the floor. He smiled at how red Lovino's face was as they untangled themselves._

"_B-bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"_

_Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist, "Visiting you, of course!"_

_Lovino rolled his eyes but didn't pull away, "Well obviously, you idiot. But isn't it supposed to be bad luck, or something?"_

"_But that would mean," He kissed Lovino on the lips, "you realize," another kiss, a bit harder this time, "that that would make you," one last kiss, deep and passionate, "the wife."_

_Bright, cherry-tomato red. That was the color of Lovino's face as he started spluttering and pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest, "O-o-of course I'm not the wife! If anybody's gonna be the wife it's gonna be you. Wait," he lifted his head and stared at him, "Does one of us have to be the wife?!"_

"_Well if you think about Berwald and Tino…"_

"_I'm serious here!"_

_He reached forward and grabbed Lovino's hand, holding it tightly, "You can be whatever you want to be, Lovino. I'll always love you, no matter what."_

_Lovino remained silent. Antonio leaned forward, "Lovino?"_

"_I've never heard anyone say that to me before," he replied softly._

"_Oh, Lovino," Antonio pulled Lovino into a tight hug, running his fingers through the soft brown hair, "You're going to be hearing that a lot more often, I promise. I. Love. You."_

"_Sh-shut up," Lovino pushed him away, but Antonio was able to catch the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, despite how much he tried to hide it behind his bangs, "The ceremony's going to be starting in ten minutes anyway."_

"_Okay, okay," he backed out to the door, placing his hand on the knob, "I'll see you out there!"_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_The ceremony was very simple, despite having the whole world there to see. Lovino felt uncomfortable with everyone there but Antonio insisted. After all, nothing could bring down a wedding like political turmoil due to not being invited. Begrudgingly, Lovino had agreed._

_When the time came to give the vows, Antonio could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He couldn't help but notice Lovino fidgeting; he was probably just as nervous as he was. He could always what Lovino was feeling. There were little changes in his face, the way he held himself, how he placed his hands, that gave away whatever his emotion were on the inside, the ones he would never willingly share with anyone._

"_Antonio?"_

_Yeah, he could always tell when Lovino felt bad, or truly angry, or even the few rare moments when he was really, really happy…_

"_Antonio?"_

"_Huh? What?"_

"_You're vows?"_

"_Oh, right. Of course," Antonio smiled. It was the big moment. Taking Lovino's hand, he squeezed it tightly before starting._

"_Lovino," said Italian looked up, his cheeks flaming red and his eyes a bit doubtful, as if he thought all of this might be some elaborate dream, "I was going to write something down for you, but I just couldn't. Every time I tried the words failed me. Nothing seemed good enough to tell you the way I feel. But what I can say is that in all the years we've know each other, I have never once stopped caring for you. Sure we've had our ups and downs," he laughed a little and the spectators followed suit, "but that one fact has never changed. I guess what I'm trying to say is… __te amo__, Lovino."_

_The whole church fell silent except for the priest who nodded and gestured to Lovino, "And you?"_

_Lovino remained silent, staring at his shoes. Antonio bent down so he could get a good look at Lovino's face, "Lovi? Why are you crying?"_

"_Y-you…"he looked up, the tears flowing down his face running into his smile, "You bastard!" Leaping forward Lovino slammed their lips together, melting in Antonio's embrace. The crowd exploded in a tidal wave of applause, cheers, and one or two catcalls. But Antonio was oblivious to all of it. He didn't register the noise of the audience, the extremely confused priest, or the tears that still spilled from Lovino's eyes. All he could her was his own heartbeat, and all he could feel was Lovino's body under his hands and Lovino's lips pressed against his own._

_What he was aware of was the priest trying to get their attention with a very uncomfortable look on his face, "Um… excuse me? You haven't said you 'I do's' yet. Excuse me?"_

_Pulling away, Lovino looked over at him, "Oh, screw you."_

_Antonio tried to apologize but there was something about Lovino kissing him, and willingly, that was making his brain circuits short out. Thankfully Francis walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering something into his ear. Nodding, the priest closed his book with a snap and walked over to them. Reluctantly, they broke the kiss and turned to look at him._

"_Well," he said, leaning in close so they both could hear him over the crowd, "I believe this is proof enough of your consents. Do you have the rings?"_

_Antonio reached into his pocket and extracted two perfect golden circlets. With no great flourish or ceremony he slipped one onto Lovino's finger, but nonetheless it elicited another giant cheer from the crowd._

_ "So I hear by pronounce you husband and… I hear by pronounce you legally bonded."_

_Lovino scowled but Antonio ran a hand through his hair to keep him from lashing out again, "Yes, yes. Thank you so much. __Gracias."_

_The priest nodded and walked away, presumably to get away from such a rowdy bunch. Lovino was still frowning after him, so Antonio gave him another small kiss, "See? That wasn't so bad."_

"_Well, maybe not but can you believe that guy? What an idio- Hey, what are you doing!? Antonio, put me down __right now__. Let me go!"_

_Antonio had lifted Lovino off his feet and started carrying him down the aisle; one arm tucked under his legs and the other securely behind his back. As they walked every nation stood, most still cheering as loudly as ever. At the doorway Antonio leaned his head down and kissed Lovino once more for good measure, temporarily stopping his rant._

"_Antonio?"_

"_What is it my little tomato?"_

"_Okay. One: Stop calling me that and Two: Let me go."_

_At this Antonio's grip only tightened and he placed his head on top of Lovino's, "Never."_

~*~*~*~*~

The memories his Antonio like an American football player going after the ball. As if in slow motion the picture frame fell from his fingers and shattered on the floor, "Oh, god…"

"Hm?" Francis was looking at him, "Did you say something?"

"Francis!" reaching forward he grabbed Francis's shoulders, "Where's Lovino?! Where is he?!"

"Wha- I don't know."

"I've got to go find him. I've got to-"

"Wait!" Francis had grabbed his hand to keep him from running out the door, "I assume by this sudden outburst that you have regained your memories, oui?" Antonio nodded, "Well in that case you should know well enough when Lovino needs to clear his head. Wait for him to return and if he's not back by morning then go look for him. Besides, this should be a nice surprise for him, don't you think?"

"Yeah… yeah okay. It's just that…" He looked up, "How could I be such an idiot? Lovino's been in so much pain this past week and I didn't even realize or think to ask him about it, and I-"

"Non, non, mon ami. It wasn't you fault. The kind of communication you have took years, maybe centuries to create, so without that you were lost. Especially with someone as closed up as Lovino."

Remaining silent Antonio nodded again in agreement.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No," he managed to give Francis a small smile, "It probably wouldn't be a good thing if you were still here if Lovino comes back."

He stared toward the door, "Alright. And get some sleep tonight, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Francis."

"Oh, one more thing Antonio."

"What?"

Francis gave a smile that had made many a woman go weak at the knees over the centuries but was completely lost on a certain Spaniard, "Welcome back."

Antonio smiled, this time for real, "Thanks, Francis."

~*~*~*~*~*~

By the time midnight stuck Lovino had not returned and Antonio was still up waiting. He knew he shouldn't let worry get the best of him but he couldn't help it. The Italian he had fallen in love with had a tendency to think only the worst of himself; as if no one in the world thought he mattered. It was getting better since they had been together, but Lovino still had a very fragile self-esteem. Without Antonio there to remind him that someone did care, who would?

Sighing, Antonio rose from where he had been sitting at the kitchen table and walked back to the room Lovino was using over the past week. Flopping down on the bed, he grimaced at how uncomfortable the mattress was. Was this really what Lovino had been sleeping on? No wonder he was so stressed out. Everything seems worse when you don't sleep well.

Antonio groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. He really needed to sleep too. But as long as there was a chance, no matter how slim, that Lovino would come back that night, he couldn't miss it. Yawning, he reached down and lifted the photo off the floor, shaking off the glass from the broken frame. He smiled as the glossy surface reflected off the light. Lovino had hated it when he framed it. It was one of the candid shots from their wedding, taken with some cheesy disposable camera. His arm was around Lovino's shoulders while he talked to someone about something or other…

And Lovino was smiling, looking happier than he had in years.


	7. Chapter 7

Antonio rapped his knuckles on Feliciano's front door and started pacing back and forth as he waited. As predicted, Lovino had not returned home that night. As soon as the sun had woken him from where he fell asleep in the guest room (he absolutely refused to call it Lovino's room, or Lovino's old room, or anything that had to do with his Lovino) he had grabbed the keys to his car and started driving. Making record time to Lovino's house (and breaking more than one speed limit) he had searched the whole place three times over before deciding that Lovino was definitely not there. So he drove north again, and a few hours later he was at the door of the younger Italian.

Loosing his patience he knocked again, desperation controlling his every movement. This time Feliciano answered, first confusion the happiness crossing his face, "Big brother Antonio!! What are you doing here?"

"Feliciano!" he pushed his way in, looking frantically left and right, "Is Lovino here? I've been looking for him all morning."

"Oh… he left a few hours ago."

"What?! I was just at his house! Did I pass him on the road?"

"No, I don't think so… It looked like he was heading north, probably back to your place or something."

Antonio perked up, "Really? That's great! Thanks Feli!" with that he ran back outside and down to his car. Staring the engine, he waved at back at Feliciano before pulling out onto the road.

"Antonio!"

Jerking to a stop he poked his head out the window, "What? Is something wrong?"

Feliciano shook his head and smiled, "I'm glad you got your memory back!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lovino opened the door slowly and tiptoed into the house. He didn't want to run into Antonio: at least not yet. Making his way to the kitchen he shook his head and scowled. What was he waiting for? Might as well get this over with, after all.

"A-Antonio?" he called into the house, squeezing his eyes shut for god knows what reason. But nothing happened. There was no reply. Not one sign of life.

"Hello?" he called again, a bit louder. As expected, no answer. Curling his hand into a fist he banged it in the table, making the wood vibrate in response, before sliding down into a chair.

'_That bastard!_' he thought, '_He probably went off with Francis or something. Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot…!_' but by the time he was done he wasn't sure if he was cursing Antonio or himself. Running a hand through his hair he sighed and closed his eyes. Oh well. Nothing to do but wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Lovino, Lovino, Lovino_

Lovino's name ran through Antonio's head as he pulled down the driveway to their house, praying that his car would be there. At the sight of the tiny red convertible he pulled to a stop and leapt out, running over to the hood. Antonio grinned at the feel of a cool engine and dashed to the house stopping just short of the door to the kitchen. The door was open so he could look through the screen and into the room. And there was Lovino, slumped over one of the chairs.

Smiling he carefully pushed the door open, grateful that he had oiled the hinges about a month ago.

"Lovi…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Lovi…"

Lovino's eyes widened as he steeled himself for the encounter. God dammit he wasn't ready for this but…

Banging his fist onto the table again he stood, trying to act angrier then he actually felt. Antonio calling him that wouldn't be such a big deal if it didn't hurt so much, "Bastard! I thought I told you to never call me that!"

"But-"

"No!" Lovino shook his head, trying to get the rage to build up inside of him. It used to be so easy. Back when Antonio didn't mean as much to him as he did now, "I don't want you to call me that! I can't-!"

He was cut off as Antonio charged over to him and wrapped his arms around his neck, "Lovi, Lovi, I'm so happy to see you!"

Face flaming red he pushed Antonio away. He couldn't believe this would be real, "Listen you idiot, I don't know what that French bastard told you but whatever it was just forget it, okay?"

"But Lovino," Antonio leaned forward pressing their lips together, gently at first, but then with growing intensity. Lovino tensed up. It was so familiar, so safe and he wanted it, good god how he wanted it but…

At the same moment they pulled apart and Antonio grinned, "Lovino, I've remembered."

For a minute or so Lovino gaped at Antonio. The man was smiling, just standing there and smiling as if the past week hadn't happened and everything was right with the world.

He swallowed, "S-so you… you have…"

Antonio nodded.

And he couldn't hold it in anymore. Curling his hands into Antonio's shirt he finally allowed the tears to flow freely, for once in his life not ashamed of how weak he might seem. He cried and sunk down to the floor, dragging Antonio down with him. The Spaniard pulled him onto his lap, hugging him tight and whispering comforting words into his ear. He ran a hand through Lovino's hair, trying to calm the Italian man down just a little, "Lovino, it's okay. I'm here for you now, alri-"

"W-why?"

Antonio looked down, "What?"

"Why, you idiot, why? If… Shit, if I didn't care so much then it wouldn't have hurt so much when you left!"

Stopping for a moment, Antonio pulled Lovino even closer, his heart breaking in two from how much pain Lovino seemed to be in, "Lovino I… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. And I promise, I will never, never leave you again. Never ever, but…"

Slowly Antonio pulled them both up so they were standing face to face. Lovino reached up a hand and began rubbing his tears away, not failing to notice how shaky he still was, "But what?"

"Why didn't you tell me we were married? Of course now I'm not sure what I would've done about it but it might have been a little better, don't you think?"

Lovino looked down at his shoes, not wanting to admit to anything but knowing he had to, "I…" he took a deep breath, "I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I was scared that if I told you, you might not want to be around me anymore or that you would have decided that you were a complete idiot for choosing someone like me because I know I wouldn't choose me and you would leave and that would be that. There. Are you happy now, bastard?!"

Everything Lovino said came out in a rush as he pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes, trying to prevent more tears from coming, "And I thought… I, I just thought that if you went away that… after all these years I…" he looked up into Antonio's face (_Antonio's_ face), "Shit! Don't you know how much I love you, you god damn bastard?!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

In the middle of the night Lovino woke up, the moonlight casting dancing shadows over the floor and Antonio's arms protectively around his middle. Still half asleep he turned over on his side and jumped at the sight of Antonio's eyes staring into his.

"What the hell are you doing awake?"

Antonio nuzzled his head into the crook of Lovino's neck, "Watching you sleep, my tiny, perfect tomato."

"Hmph," he replied, moving down deeper into Antonio's embrace, "And why would you do that?"

"Well, you see I was thinking-"

"That's always a good sign," Lovino stated sarcastically. Antonio just smiled and continued.

"I was thinking that it's been ten days since I got a change to see you sleeping so I may as well catch up now!"

"Is that so?" Lovino snaked his arms around Antonio's chest and hugged him for all he was worth, breathing in deep as Antonio held him back. Was he really this easily manipulated when he actually cared for someone? When he actually loved someone, "Then, y'know. I guess that's okay. For now."

He felt Antonio smile and closed his eyes. He was safe. After over week of torture he was finally safe.

"Lovi? Are you asleep?" Antonio whispered.

"No," he opened his eyes again, "I was just feeling, well…kinda… y'know, happy."

"Hm? Why are you happy?"

"… You really are an idiot, you know that?"

"But Lovi that's so mean! Why are you happy? Tell me, tell me!"

"No."

"But Lovi-!"

Lovino tilted his head and gave Antonio a kiss to shut him up. Unsurprisingly enough, it worked. Their mouths mixed together, exploring and relearning what had almost been forgotten: how much they truly loved and needed each other when they stopped thinking about everything else and just existed side by side.

"Don't worry about it," Lovino said, yawning and resting his head on Antonio's chest, listening closely to the heart beat, "If you don't figure it out by morning I'll tell you, alright?"

"Okay. Lovino?"

"Hm?"

Antonio kissed the top of Lovino's head before settling back down on the pillows, "It's good to be home."

**End~**

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* * *

_Yay, its over! Thanks for all the good comments and stuff... and... well that's about it XD Look forward to seeing plenty more of my stuff in the future~_


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